BRITISH SPEEDWAY ROUND-UP #13
HERE’S the latest news and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.
PIC OF THE WEEK…
SHEFFIELD overcame the absence of No.1 Jack Holder to defeat Leicester 53-37 at Owlerton on Thursday and take maximum points from the meeting.
The Tigers operated rider-replacement for broken arm victim Holder and functioned as an all-round unit, securing the aggregate point with a 5-1 from Chris Holder and skipper Josh Pickering in the last race.
The visitors had pulled back from ten points down on the night to just four with four races remaining, but the hosts came up with another big finish on their own track.
Photo credit: CHARLOTTE FLANIGAN
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP LATEST
HOW IT STANDS
BELLE Vue’s lead at the top of the table is up to five points after their win against King’s Lynn on Monday, with Ipswich moving into second place after taking a maximum haul at Northampton. Sheffield and Leicester complete the play-off places, with King’s Lynn having two home matches to come in this week as they look to close the gap.
ACES MARCH ON
BELLE Vue are five points clear at the top of the league table after a battling effort to snatch an aggregate point at Ipswich was followed by a 53-37 home win over King’s Lynn.
Aces boss Mark Lemon expects the upcoming fixture schedule to provide a decent indication of where their season is heading.
Lemon said: “The meeting result was never really in doubt and it was another easy night in the pits for me just allowing the riders to go out there and have their programmed rides.
“Things are looking pretty good for us right now but with the way the fixtures work, we’ll have a clearer indication this time next month.”
FOXES SO CLOSE AGAIN
NORTHAMPTON suffered yet another last heat decider defeat when they lost out 46-44 at home to Ipswich on Monday, having fought back from eight points down.
Manager Chris Adams said: “We are just lacking in a couple of areas, we know this, and we will turn it around. I think in a week or two now, you’re going to see a fair few more wins at home.
“It’s very exciting that every single meeting we’ve done here is being taken near enough to a last heat decider, but it’s just unfortunate that we’re not on that winning side at the minute. You can see it coming, it just all needs to click at the same time.”
WITCHES’ STAR GUEST
KEVIN Juhl Pedersen has earned a second appearance in Ipswich colours after a terrific performance when guesting for Philip Hellstrom-Bangs at Northampton on Monday.
The Witches have immediately booked the Dane for their trip to King’s Lynn on Thursday after he scored a crucial 6+1 in their narrow away victory at Brafield.
Manager Paul Hurry said: “He was good and with a performance like that, he kept us in front and helped us win the meeting. We are going to give him another chance at King’s Lynn.
“He’s good; he’s professional; he makes starts, and he listens. He slotted in straight away with the team. When I spoke to him on Saturday, he took to us like a duck to water. He is nice to talk to and knows what he wants. He is a pleasure to deal with. When Denmark is producing riders like that, you can’t fault it.”
JENKINS LOOKS TO IMPRESS
NEW King’s Lynn signing Jordan Jenkins will make his home debut for the Stars against former club Ipswich on Thursday.
Jenkins has joined the Norfolk outfit as a replacement for Paco Castagna although he endured a tough first appearance in Monday’s defeat at Belle Vue.
He said: “It’s always hard replacing someone especially when it’s such a great guy like Paco who I get on really well with, but I think King’s Lynn were just lacking a few points here and there from meetings they were narrowly losing.
“I do think it’s a really good team with lots of strong riders, and if I can just keep my confidence up and keep the ball rolling there’s no reason why I can’t be scoring good points around there.”
TIGERS WIN IT FOR JACK
SHEFFIELD manager Simon Stead dedicated their hard-fought home win over Leicester to broken arm victim Jack Holder who is set for several weeks on the sidelines.
Stead said: “That was for Jack, that one! I was really proud of the team spirit, the determination that we showed because that was always going to be tough, no doubt about it.
“I think we covered Jack as best we could, it’s not ideal but it’s virtually impossible to replace what Jack does here on a weekly basis. But everyone showed moments and I’m really proud of that result.”
LIONS MISS OUT
LEICESTER skipper Sam Masters was disappointed to see their strong run of results at Sheffield end last Thursday with a 53-37 defeat.
Masters said: “We did put up a good fight all night, but it’s such a tough place to come.
“They were without Jack who’s one of the best riders in the league, and probably the best rider on this track, so we were looking to capitalise on that, but it didn’t happen and the Sheffield boys put in a good fight without their No.1.
“I don’t know what it was (after the interval), we can’t pinpoint any reason why that happened, but like I said they’re such a good team around here.”
THE WEEK AHEAD…
WITH leaders Belle Vue not in action for ten days, Ipswich have the chance to close the gap when they visit King’s Lynn on Thursday and Leicester next Monday… That is the second of two home matches for the Lions, who host Northampton on Thursday… It’s also two home matches in quick succession for the Stars, as they then take on Northampton on Monday.
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP LATEST
HOW IT STANDS
GLASGOW remain top despite being inactive in the last week, with Edinburgh moving into second place thanks to their dramatic win at Plymouth. Scunthorpe and Poole complete the top four, whilst Redcar are now on the top six. Only five points cover top to bottom, with Poole and Berwick having several matches in hand as both have only raced three times in the league.
BANDITS WIN SENSATIONAL SEMI
BERWICK are celebrating their place in the MAXiCab KO Cup Final, reaching that stage of the competition for the first time in 37 years.
The Bandits went down by just four points in the first leg of their semi-final at Poole before turning things around in front of a packed crowd at Shielfield Park on Saturday for a 55-35 win on the night.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “I cannot praise the riders enough. They focussed and got the job done with every one of them making a massive contribution to the victory.
“But now the focus turns to Friday night’s BSN Series semi-final at Redcar. We’ve had a taste of what it’s like and I think it’s fair to say that we, and the fans, are keen to have a lot more.”
GREAT SCOTT FOR BEARS
REDCAR manager Gavin Parr heaped praise on young reserve Jody Scott for his vital part in a close home win over Edinburgh.
The Bears were taken to a last-heat decider where Scott partnered Nicolai Klindt to a 5-1 over Monarchs duo Dan Thompson and Kye Thomson.
Parr said: “Jody fully deserved his heat 15 nomination and he rode a fantastic four laps with Nicolai to ensure we sent the Monarchs home empty handed.”
MONARCHS EARN THEIR WIN
EDINBURGH and their supporters were rewarded on the long trip to Plymouth with a 47-43 win in a last-heat decider at the Coliseum.
After narrowly missing out at Redcar one night earlier, Dan Thompson and Kye Thomson delighted the Monarchs fans with their Heat 15 5-1 in Devon.
Skipper Paco Castagna said: “We were talking all night, there were gaps so we had team talks and the message was just, ‘we are riding better than them, we are making better starts let’s get it to the finish line.’
“We did that and that was down to fantastic performances and fantastic teamwork so I am very, very proud of the boys and it is a positive to end the weekend as we now have a little bit of time off.”
PIRATES: NOW FOR THE DOUBLE
DISAPPOINTED Poole youngster Cooper Rushen says the Pirates will turn their attentions to the league and BSN Series after seeing their KO Cup hopes ended by Berwick.
The holders suffered a 20-point defeat at the Border venue on Saturday as they were unable to defend a narrow four-point first leg advantage.
Rushen said: “It was nice for me to get a Heat 15 ride, but it is disappointing that we won’t be going into the Final this year.
“It has been a very successful club and it is a shame that we can’t still aim for the Treble again now. But the Double is still on!”
WIN RELIEF FOR CHEETAHS
OXFORD skipper Sam Masters said the win was the most important factor after the Cheetahs ended a frustrating run with victory over Redcar.
But the Bears took the aggregate point in a Super Heat meaning the Cowley club will need to improve their form on the road if they are to challenge for a top four place.
Masters said: “It wasn’t easy, and we’d have liked the aggregate point as well, because we were good enough to take it, but towards the end, gates 2 and 4 were hard. But winning is the main thing and we got the job done.
“It is great to win a meeting and it does give everyone a lift. We’re probably going to need some away results as well, but we now can start building towards getting ourselves up into the play-off places.”
TIGERS AT THE TOP
GLASGOW boss Cami Brown says he’s happy with life at the top of the Cab Direct Championship table.
The Tigers hit the summit with their impressive away win at Workington just over a week ago, and Brown says he is content with recent performances.
He said: “It’s great to go top of the league. Obviously the teams around us have had less meetings, so it will balance out in time.
“But I said I felt we were a whisker away from getting the results we needed, and we’ve got ourselves into a strong position. Now we’ve just got to keep this run going.”
COMETS REMEMBER JAY
WORKINGTON and the family of Jay Cartmell have issued their thanks to everyone who supported the second Memorial meeting to honour the young fan who tragically lost his life in 2024.
Last Saturday’s event at the GT Tyres Arena attracted substantial sponsorship and backing, and also showcased several new riders who hope to race in the UK in the future.
The club said: “The Cartmell Family and Workington Speedway would like to express their gratitude to all the sponsors and backers of the meeting.
“We would like to thank all the fans for their incredible support and donations to the GoFundMe page, along with every rider who took part and helping us create a fantastic day in memory of Jay.”
THE WEEK AHEAD…
LEADERS Glasgow host Oxford on Friday with the Cheetahs on a Northern tour which also sees them visit Berwick on Saturday… Scunthorpe look to continue their strong league campaign on Friday with a home clash against Plymouth… Friday also sees the first leg of the BSN Series semi-final between Redcar and Berwick at the ECCO Arena, with a place in the Final against Poole awaiting the overall winners.
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE LATEST
HOW IT STANDS
LEICESTER’S big win over Buxton maintained their 100 per cent start to the season, with Edinburgh remaining top with three wins from three. King’s Lynn and Buxton are yet to get off the mark.
DOMINATION FROM LION CUBS
LEICESTER went through the 60-point mark in their second WSRA NDL fixture of 2026 as they slammed Buxton 61-29 at the Hydroscand Arena.
16-year-old Ryan Ingram scored his first paid maximum at this level as the Lion Cubs set themselves up well for a busy spell of fixtures.
Manager Jen Crossland said: “We’ve got some tough matches coming up, especially the week after next with King’s Lynn and Middlesbrough away and then back home against Oxford, so that’s three tough matches.
“But they can do it, and they’ve proved today that nothing fazes them at all.”
BULLS ADRIFT AT LEICESTER
BUXTON boss Laurence Rogers admitted the Bulls had been beaten by the better side as they went down 61-29 at Leicester on Sunday.
Rogers said: “ We suffered a few issues in the meeting with Alfie Bowtell had a chain jump off in heat six and Jack Roberts blew an engine just when he was starting to get going and this limited his scoring.
“Obviously we are disappointed by the scoreline but we have to admit that Leicester were the better side on the day.”
THE WEEK AHEAD…
KING’S Lynn race their first home fixture of the NDL season on Tuesday when they host defending champions Oxford.
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY JUNE 30:
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: King’s Lynn (40) v Oxford (50) 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 2:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Leicester v Northampton 7.30
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn (40) v Ipswich (50) 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 3:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow (49) v Oxford (41) 7.30, Scunthorpe (41) v Plymouth (49) 7.30
BSN SERIES SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Redcar v Berwick 7.30
SATURDAY JULY 4:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Oxford 7pm
MONDAY JULY 6:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: King’s Lynn v Northampton 7.30
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Leicester v Ipswich 7.30
WEDNESDAY JULY 8:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford (39) v Plymouth (50) 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Leicester 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 9:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Ipswich v Leicester 7.30, Northampton (37) v Belle Vue (53) 7.30, Sheffield (41) v King’s Lynn (49) 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 10:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh (41) v Redcar (49) 7.30, Scunthorpe v Oxford 7.30
SATURDAY JULY 11:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Berwick 7pm
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Middlesbrough (37) v Leicester (53) 7.30
SCOTTISH CUP 1st leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 7pm
SUNDAY JULY 12:
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester v Oxford 3pm
MONDAY JULY 13:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue v Northampton 7.30
